Sins of the Father
by escptheshdw835
Summary: After weeks of odd behavior, Harry determines to find out what Draco is up to. He certainly doesn't expect to be landed with caring for Malfoy after he is transformed into a 5 year old who has decided Harry will be his savior. slash later hpdm
1. Attempting to Discover a Plot

First attempt at a Harry Draco story that I've actually posted, at least in a long time. First new story I've actually written in over a year ^_^ I plan to actually get it all finished too, so that's a plus! Well, read, review, enjoy!

Disclaimer: Sadly, I am not that rich to be their owners. Drat

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The food on Harry's plate was growing cold as he twirled his fork through the mush that his breakfast had become. Hermonie poked his arm, bringing him out of his thoughts with a start. "What's the matter?"

"Don't you think Malfoy's acting weird?" he asked, still staring in the direction of the blond Slytherin so he missed both of his friends rolling their eyes.

"Harry-" Ron tried but was cut off.

"This is the first time he's been at a meal in a week," the raven haired Gryffindor said, finally turning his emerald eyes to his two best friends. Ron's look was bordering on impatience and Hermonie was just annoyed. "And he keeps…_watching_ me," Harry complained.

The bushy haired girl sighed, patty his arm gently. "Harry, we've been over this-"

"he's probably just planning some way to try and get you back for outing his dad as a Death Eater," Ron chimed in.

Harry sighed, looking down at his plate for a second before pushing it away. He could feel eyes on him and looked up, but Malfoy was too fast for him, quickly turning his attention to Zabini and Parkinson.

If Harry were closer he knew he would be able to see what he believed were the signs of Draco Malfoy thoroughly falling apart. Bags under his eyes, clothes looking positively rumpled, hair not in its usually perfect array. Little things, things you wouldn't notice if you weren't paying attention. And Harry was paying attention. He never knew when Malfoy would try something so he had vowed this year to always be on the lookout.

That's how he had first started noticing the changes. How the blond would watch him in Potions, or how he was often barely on time for class anymore. How once he had fallen asleep during Care of Magical Creatures. How he was skipping meals all year, and in this past week, Harry hadn't seen him come to a single one. Hermonie was of the opinion that Malfoy was just suffering from the pressure that the added schoolwork was putting on all of them.

But that didn't explain the time a few days ago when Harry had forgotten his book outside. He told Ron and Hermonie he would meet them at lunch and on his way back he found himself approached by the blond Slytherin.

"Can I talk to you?" he had asked, sounding completely done in.

Harry had been about to agree before his boisterous friend ruined the perfect moment to get to the bottom of the mystery. "What do you want ferret? Thought you could get to Harry when we weren't around?" Ron sneered.

Malfoy's shoulders slumped and without another word he turned and walked away from the Great Hall, towards the dungeons.

Ron had chalked this up to a job well done, and even Hermonie wouldn't listen to Harry as he tried to convince them that Malfoy had seemed desperate.

The topping on the cake was when he had gone to tell Professor Dumbledore about another vision and had seen the teen lurking outside, trying to get into his office. As soon as he had seen Harry he spun on his heel and disappeared into the castle.

Harry let out a suffering sigh and picked up his goblet, draining the last of the pumpkin juice in two pulls. He felt gray eyes watching him intently before the blond stood with his Slytherin cronies Crabbe and Goyle and made their way out of the Hall.

Seized by a sudden burst of energy Harry grabbed his bag, struck with what he felt was a quite brilliant idea. If he couldn't get Malfoy to come to him, he'd go to Malfoy.

He hurriedly made excuses, telling his friends that he had to talk to McGonagal about the house tryouts before class and that he'd meet them there. Neither were fooled but he was so caught up in the moment that he barely noticed.

The three heirs were turning out of site, towards where Harry knew their common room to be when he heard a loud crack, almost like someone aparating, and a violently green cloud of smoke.

Harry hurried over to where Crabbe and Goyle were standing when the smoke started to dissipate, staring down at what appeared to be a squirming pile of Slytherin robes.

Before either of them could say a word a small blond head poked out of the neck hole and panicked gray eyes bore into Harry's emerald ones and the, what appeared to be, four year old Malfoy heir burst into tears.


	2. The Decision

**Chapter 2, with hopefully a bit more explanation, though still not a total explanation because that is all in my own mind. I hope this is entertaining and reviews would certainly help fuel not only confidence but my soul! Yes! My soul would feast on such reviews! Hehe, well enjoy!**

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Without a word and giving Harry no chance to react, Crabbe and Goyle turned and dashed down the stairs, disappearing into the dungeons. Harry frowned, rubbing his head to try and alleviate the building headache.

The small boy's wailing didn't help. Pushing back years of hatred, the Gryffindor bent down reaching out a hand. The gray eyed boy immediately stopped crying and scrambled back , tripping in the too large clothing and sprawled on his back. "I-I'm sorry, please don't tell," Harry's arch rival pleaded.

Harry was saved from further musings on what to do by the arrival of his least favorite teacher. "Potter! What are you doing lurking in the halls?"

Severus Snape stalked out of the Great Hall heading right for the pair and if the situation wasn't so alarming Harry would have laughed out loud at the expression on his professor's face. "Draco?" the man asked, eyes wide. "What have you done to him Potter?"

"I didn't do anything!" Harry cried, indignant. "I found him like this!"

"10 points from Gryffindor for yelling at your superiors," Snape drawled, walking towards the young boy on the ground. Malfoy, who seemed to once again regain his footing, backed away from the potions master, falling over again as his feet got tangled in the garment draping him.

Harry couldn't help the laugh that bubbled out at the tiny boy. The child turned to look at him, eyes narrowing. "Do not laugh at me," he snapped, chin up, managing to look down his nose at Harry despite several feet of height difference.

The Gryffindor snorted but managed to keep further expressions of mirth from displaying themselves. Apparently even as a four year old Malfoy was a prat. It wasn't until Snape cleared his throat, giving the raven haired teenager a dark look that they both remembered his presence.

He had his wand out, pointed at the young boy. Malfoy gave a cry of alarm and scrambled behind Harry who was closer. "I'm sorry. Please don't, I'm sorry," he whimpered. "I didn't mean to," he cried as Snape stalked closer.

"What're you doing?" Harry exclaimed, moving to block his professor.

"Get out of my way Potter," Snape snapped, trying to force his way around the Gryffindor.

Harry refused to budge, turning slightly so Malfoy was still hidden behind him. "No," he said, glad the words came out with a lot more conviction than he felt. Small hands were gripping the back of his robes tightly and he could feel the boy trembling against his legs.

"Do you really think I'm going to harm this child?" Snape asked. Feeling his cheeks redden, Harry kept his mouth shut. "I am simply going to shrink his robes, so that he may move about more freely," his professor explained as though he were talking to someone incredibly dim witted.

Harry's hand clenched on the wand in his pocket but this time made no move to stop him. "Follow me," Snape commanded after Malfoy's robes were smaller and his trembling had ceased.

He had no doubt that he was being led to the headmaster's office just as he had no doubt that the responsibility of the child had temporarily fallen on him. Why did he always have to speak up, he wondered, turning to look down at the blond. "We're going to go see someone now Mal-Draco," Harry told the boy, the name sounding strange in his mouth.

The young heir looked up and him and nodded before following their potions professor with the same air of indifference he usually walked around the school with. Harry couldn't stop the small smile that appeared watching the young child take carefully measured steps in the wake of the older man.

As they fell steadily behind Snape, Harry offered to carry him only to be met with a cold look. "Malfoy's don't get carried. It's common," he said, sticking his nose in the air and continuing to walk.

Harry sighed, mind racing. Any minute now breakfast would be done and the halls would be crowded with the curious gossiping crowds of Hogwarts. "But the first one there gets a prize, and I really want a prize," Harry said. "Don't you?"

He was met with the same superior look as before and admitted defeat. A few moments later though found Malfoy asking him "What kind of prize?"

"It's a _sur_prize," Harry told him. Malfoy appeared to contemplate that for a few minutes before relenting and holding his arms up. Harry scooped up the child and quickly caught up with Snape. The man looked down at the blond in Harry's arms before turning away with a huff, mumbling something about idiotic Gryffindors.

The three of them finally reached the stone gargoyle and Snape delivered the password, "acid pops," and before he knew what was happening Harry had dashed ahead of him on the revolving staircase and was the first to get to the door.

Malfoy had started to struggle and Harry released him and the young boy ran to the oak door slapping his hand on it. "I win!" he declared. "Where's my Sur Prize?" he asked, pronouncing it like two separate words.

"It appears," Snape remarked. "That even as a child Draco is able to outwit you," the man said. Harry scowled at him before pulling a chocolate frog out of his pocket. The boy grabbed it and peeled the frog shaped candy open as they entered Dumbledore's office.

Malfoy's attention was immediately taken by the numerous spinning trinkets and the smoke they emitted. He gave the portirats on the wall's a curious glance before letting his eyes continue to probe the room. He looked at Fawkes the longest, seeming quite taken with the glorious bird.

If the headmaster was surprised to see them he hid it behind twinkling eyes and he gestured for them all to take seats. "Well Harry m'boy you always seem to get yourself into quite the situations," he remarked, a smile on his face. "Now Draco, how old are you?" he asked the child.

Harry saw the young Malfoy shoot him a curious look before turning to look at the wrinkled man. Malfoy drew himself up to his full 2 and a half foot height but Harry could see the chocolate frog shaking slightly in his hand.

"Five, sir. Nearly six."

"And what is the last thing you remember before finding yourself here?"

"I was playing with my toy box," Malfoy answered, tripping over the words. The frog picked up a more noticeable shiver. "Then I was here," he finished as if that explained everything.

"I see," Dumbledore replied. Well Harry was glad one of them did at least because he was lost. "Now Harry, how did you happen to stumble upon Mr. Malfoy here?"

"I forgot my Transfiguration book upstairs," he lied. "Crabbe and Goyle were with Malfoy and there was a pop and a cloud of smoke. The other two ran away and left Malfoy here."

Snape glared at him and the headmaster. "It seems quite coincidental that Potter was just in the wrong place at the wrong time," he said.

"Well Harry does have a tendency to find himself in those types of situations on many occasions," Dumbledore commented. "Yes Draco, what is it?"

The tiny Malfoy was staring at Harry with a strange expression. "You're Harry Potter?"

"Err..yeah?" That strange expression turned into something even more odd, a burning hopeful expression that was immediately hidden away by the child though not nearly as well as Harry had seen him do at 16.

Dumbledore had noticed it too but neglected to comment. "Now Draco, we're going to have to figure out a way to get you home-"

"I would rather not go home," the boy cut in, adopting the tone of someone used to getting his way.

"Unfortunately Draco, this is a school meant for children much older than yourself. I'm afraid we don't have much of a choice unless someone here were willing to take up the task," he explained.

The Gryffindor wasn't quite sure what made him do it. Perhaps it was how he would have felt at five, finally being away from the Dursleys and then being told he had to go back. Or maybe it was the child shaking like a leaf one chair away from him. Or the strange look the boy had given him, as if he, Harry, were his last hope that caused him to speak up. "I'll do it sir," he said. Two pairs of eyes shot to his face and a third just twinkled merrily.

Dumbledore clapped his hands. "Very well. Draco you may stay here as long as you promise to remain out of trouble and to listen very carefully to what people tell you to do," he said as if speaking to someone much older than the small boy.

Malfoy nodded his head gravely and settled himself more securely in his chair. "You cannot seriously think that Potter can care for Draco," Snape objected.

"I most certainly can and do," Dumbledore said, smiling. "Harry is Head Boy and has his own quarters. Draco's stuff can be transferred there until we can figure out what happened and how to reverse it."

"I object-"

"Lodged and noted!" Dumbledore said. "Now Severus, what do you think could have caused this to happen to young Draco?"

The two adults began to talk quickly amongst themselves about potions and spells and objects and Harry was quickly lost. His eyes traveled to the five year old who was nodding off in his chair. He didn't look almost six, he looked barely four. His reactions were also odd. The constantly shifting moods and fits of trembling.

"Now Harry," Dumbledore said, cutting into Harry's wandering thoughts. "You shall have the rest of the day off to get accustomed to your new responsibilities though tomorrow we expect you to be at class on time. If you need anything just let Professor Snape or myself know and we will see what we can do."

Harry nodded absently, scooping up the sleeping boy who protested weakly before falling into a deeper sleep. He distantly heard the two teachers resume their earlier discussion as he left the room. Dumbledore had dismissed them during classes and once more Harry ran into no one on his way to his rooms.

"Baslik," Harry muttered to the portrait which swung open to admit him. IT was a small suite with a bathroom, small sitting room, and bedroom. He walked through the red and gold themed sitting room and into the bedroom. The plush blue carpeting muffled his steps as he walked towards where a small bed had been placed in a corner of the room.

He smiled at the silver and green snake decorating the cover which he pushed back, tucking the exhausted blond underneath. His own bed was done in blues and silvers and the wardrobe was made of heavy dark oak.

The Slytherin let out a whimper, snuggling deeper into his blankets and Harry frowned. He lost track of time as he stood there, the sound of Hermonie's voice dragging him back to the present.

"Harry, we brought you your work, why weren't you in class?" she called, heading towards him.

"Yeah mate, I thought for sure you'd beat us there," Ron added. Before Harry could stop him Ron threw himself on Harry's bed, hands behind his head. He turned to look at the raven haired boy and froze. "Bloody hell!" he hollered, clambering back to his feet.

Harry sighed, squeezing the bridge of his nose. He could feel his headache coming back with a vengeance.


End file.
